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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Canucks top five plays of the month - April 2013 edition

With the exception of one chill-inducing win in particular, Canucks fans should be content to leave the team's 7-5-1 April in the rear-view mirror -- though that goes without saying with playoff puck drop set for tomorrow night. Nonetheless, BTD is here to put a damper on your post-season anticipation with a quick look back at the best of April. Aforementioned win well-represented.

The Canucks owe the vast majority of their wins in April to the fact that they played six of their first seven games this month against non-playoff teams. As such, they went on a 6-1 run that included the first goal of this highlight package -- Mason Raymond's mid-air insurance goal against the Flames. Not a bad way to cap off a resurgent year for the keenly coordinated winger. Over a full 82-game season, Raymond would have been on pace for a solid 40 points.

Playing the Flames once more two games prior, Dan Hamhuis successfully converts on a rare two-on-one at number four. Usually the recipient of such saucer passes, Alex Burrows threads one just out of Dennis Wideman's reach and onto Hamhuis' stick 34 seconds into the game.

A virtual carbon copy at number three, Derek Roy gives Chris Higgins his 10th and last goal of the season in his Canucks debut. The next goal continues to feature Roy. In his return to Dallas, the newest Canuck parlays a chest-high breakout pass from Ryan Kesler into a Burrows-esque breakaway deke to the backhand. Did we already make a video featuring that legendary move? Why yes, I think I will plug the Burrows video again.

Finally, what's a Canucks highlight package without the Sedins at their absolute best? Call it the bank pass 2.0. Not only is Daniel's finish cleaner and more jaw-dropping than the original against Detroit, it effectively embarasses the Blackhawks with who else but the sorest loser himself in pursuit.

Feel free to keep that play on file the next time someone tells you the Sedins have lost a step.